Obituaries Australia

First Australian Labour Federation Executive (Qld), 1890 [Fanning is second from right, top row]

from Worker (Brisbane) 27 February 1940, p 12

The Worker regrets to have to chronicle the death in Victoria of Mick Fanning who was vice-president of the first General Council of the A.L.F. Mick was a sterling bushman, and did much towards the building up of the bush unions both as an individual member and paid organiser. During the great bush strike he suffered from the persecution of the authorities and was sent to Roma Gaol for six months as a unionist prisoner. The heavy work of organising told severely on his health and he was on his way to New Australia when death overtook him. The Labour movement loses a good man by Fanning's demise, and his mourners will be many throughout the Queensland bush.